Data streaming for interactive decision-oriented software applications

ABSTRACT

Providing data to a computer software application by intercepting a request made by a computer software application to retrieve a first data set from a first data storage location, accessing a record, defined in advance of the request, that includes a reference to the first data set and a reference to a second data set, retrieving the first data set from a data storage location other than the first data storage location, and retrieving the second data set from a data storage location other than the first data storage location in advance of a request by the computer software application to access the second data set at the first data storage location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/412,765, filed Mar. 6, 2012, which claims priority benefit from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/449,675, filed Mar. 6, 2011, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to data streaming in general, and moreparticularly to data streaming for interactive, decision-orientedsoftware applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current data streaming methods enable a computer user to view or listento a portion of video or music data file while downloading subsequentportions of file. However, existing streaming methods cannot be used todownload, or otherwise install an interactive software application, suchas a computer game, where the entire application must be downloaded tothe user's computer before the game can be played.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention a method is provided forrecording the inclusion frequency of an element over a plurality ofsets, the method including a) maintaining one or more maps of one ormore spaces, where each of the maps includes one or more items thatuniquely span each of the spaces, b) obtaining a target element from aninput set, c) identifying one of the maps of one of the spaces, wherethe target element is associated with the space, d) mapping the targetelement onto one of the items in the identified map, e) incrementing acount that is associated with the mapped item, f) storing a setidentifier in association with the mapped item, where the identifieridentifies the input set that includes the mapped target element, andrepeating steps b)-f) for a plurality of elements in a plurality (N) ofinput sets, where each of the elements is mapped only once.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the method furtherincludes adding the target element to an output set if the countassociated with the mapped item is equal to one, where the output set isassociated with the identifier stored in association with the mappeditem, and where the output set includes only elements that are unique tothe input set identified by the identifier.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the method furtherincludes adding the target element to an output set if the countassociated with the mapped item is equal to N, where the output setincludes only elements that are included in each of the plurality ofinput sets.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the elementcorresponds to a sequence of features in one of the spaces and where theelement includes a space identifier, a first feature, and a size.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention each of the pluralityof items that uniquely span the space include a first feature, a size, acount, and a set identifier.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the mapping stepfurther includes mapping onto the item where the item spans the firstfeature of the target element.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the incrementing ofthe count step is performed if the first feature and the size of thetarget element are equivalent to the first feature and the size of themapped item, respectively.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the method furtherincludes splitting the mapped item into multiple split items if thefirst feature of the mapped item differs from the first feature of thetarget element and/or if the size of the mapped item differs from thesize of the target element, maintaining an association between anattribute and the mapped item with any of the split mapped items,adjusting the first feature and size attributes of the multiple splititems, where either the first feature of one of the split mapped itemsis equivalent to the first feature of the target element, and/or wherethe size of one of the split mapped items is equivalent to the size ofthe target element, and adding the multiple split mapped items and theassociated attributes to the map.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the method furtherincludes splitting the target element into multiple target elements ifthe first feature of the target element differs from the first featureof the target item and/or the size of the target element differs fromthe size of the item element, maintaining an association between anattribute and the target element with any of the split target elements,and adjusting the first feature and size attributes of the multiplesplit target elements, where either the first feature of one of thesplit target elements is equivalent to the first feature of the mappeditem, and/or where the size of one of the split target elements isequivalent to the size of the mapped item.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention a method is providedfor defining blocks, the method including a) executing adecision-oriented application, b) adding a begin label indicating abeginning of a block to an output file, c) obtaining a request for databy the application, d) comparing the request with one or more requeststhat are included in an index file, e) adding the request to the outputfile if the request is not included in the index file or if the requestis both included in the index file and if an attribute indicates thatthe request is hidden in the index file, f) repeating steps c) throughe), g) adding an end label indicating an end of the block in the outputfile, h) adding the requests included between the begin label and theend label in the output file to the index file in association with theblock, i) indicating that the added requests are hidden if the obtainingof the request is subsequent to a decision branch in an execution flowof the application, repeating steps c) through i).

In accordance with another aspect of the invention a method is providedfor evaluating a candidate index file, the method including a)installing an application at a local storage device, b) executing theinstalled application, c) obtaining a target request for data, d)storing information that is associated with the obtained target requestin a simulation file, e) obtaining information that is associated with apreviously obtained request from the simulation file, f) calculating adelay between responding to the previously obtained request andobtaining the target request as a function of the obtained informationthat is associated with the previously obtained request, g) notifyingthe application that the requested data is available, h) storing thecalculated delay in the simulation file in association with thepreviously obtained request, and repeating steps c) through h).

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the storedinformation includes a filename, a start address, a size of the request,and a time of obtaining the request.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the storing stepincludes storing a time for completing a processing of the obtainedrequest in the simulation file.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the method furtherincludes a) installing a set of core files of an application, b) storinga set of data files of an application at a remote storage device, c)obtaining a request for data from the simulation file, where obtainingthe request further includes obtaining the delay that is associated withthe request, d) factoring the delay that is associated with the obtainedrequest as a processing delay, e) retrieving the requested data from theremote storage device in accordance with a candidate index file, f)measuring a data retrieval delay that is associated with retrieving therequested data from the remote storage device, repeating steps c)through f), and determining a total delay in association with thecandidate index file, where the total delay is determined as a functionof the processing delays and the data retrieval delays.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention the retrieving therequested data step further includes activating a rule that is stored inthe candidate index file in association with the obtained request.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a simplified conceptual illustration of a system for managingthe execution of a software application, constructed and operative inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a simplified conceptual illustration of an implementation ofmanager 100 of FIG. 1A, constructed and operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B, taken together, is a simplified flowchart illustrationof an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIGS. 1A and 1B,operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B, taken together, provide a simplified conceptualillustration of a system for preparing a software application forexecution by a computer, constructed and operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary method ofoperation of the system of FIGS. 3A and 3B, operative in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is another simplified conceptual illustration of animplementation of manager 100 of FIG. 1A, constructed and operative inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6A is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary method ofoperation of the system of FIG. 5, operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6B is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary method ofoperation of the system of FIG. 5, operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 7A-7B shows exemplary results of an implementation of the methodof FIG. 6A-6B;

FIG. 8 is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary method ofoperation of the system of FIG. 5 relating to defining blocks, operativein accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 9A-9B show exemplary results of an implementation of the method ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 10A is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary methodof operation of the system of FIG. 5 relating to evaluating a candidateindex file, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;and

FIG. 10B is a simplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary methodof operation of the system of FIG. 5 relating to evaluating a candidateindex file, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is now described within the context of one or moreembodiments, although the description is intended to be illustrative ofthe invention as a whole, and is not to be construed as limiting theinvention to the embodiments shown. It is appreciated that variousmodifications may occur to those skilled in the art that, while notspecifically shown herein, are nevertheless within the true spirit andscope of the invention.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical datastorage device, a magnetic data storage device, or any suitablecombination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, acomputer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain, or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1A, which is a simplified conceptualillustration of a system for managing the execution of a softwareapplication, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. In the system of FIG. 1A, a computer 102 is configuredwith a manager 100 that enables a user of computer 102 to indicate tomanager 100, using any known technique, a software application, such asa computer-based game, for execution by computer 102. Manager 100preferably determines if the software application is ready to beexecuted on computer 102, such as where manager 100 previously installedthe software application for execution by computer 102 as described ingreater detail hereinbelow, and executes the application if it is readyto be executed. If the software application is not ready to be executedby computer 102, manager 100 preferably retrieves a predefined portionof the software application, such as from local data storage media,and/or by downloading the predefined portion of the software applicationfrom a server 104, such as via a communications network 106, such as theInternet. As is described in greater detail hereinbelow, the predefinedportion of the software application is preferably in the form of one ormore computer files in a set of core files 108, where the softwareapplication is made up of core files 108 and a set of data files 110that is stored on a data storage device, such as on server 104, oralternatively on a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD). Manager 100 theninstalls the software application for execution by computer 102,preferably by creating on a local data storage device that is accessibleto computer 102 a predefined directory structure that is required by thesoftware application and placing the files of core files 108 intopredefined locations within the directory structure. Manager 100 alsopreferably creates a set of placeholder files 110′ within the directorystructure, such as by using SparseFiles™ API for Microsoft Windows™,where each placeholder file in set 110′ corresponds to a file in datafiles 110. The directory structure, file locations within the directorystructure, and the names and sizes of the files in data files 110 arepreferably known in advance to manager 100 or are otherwise acquired bymanager 100 using conventional techniques, such as from local datastorage media and/or from server 104. Once installed, manager 100preferably initiates the execution of the software application bycomputer 102, such as by executing one of core files 108 that ispredefined to cause the execution of the software application, therebycreating an instance of an executed software application 122.

Computer 102 also preferably includes an interceptor 112 that isconfigured to intercept requests made by executed software application122 to retrieve data from placeholder files 110′, preferably whereinterceptor 112 prevents the operating system of computer 102 fromprocessing the request, such as by withholding the request from theoperating system. Interceptor 112 then forwards the request to manager100. When manager 100 receives a request for data from interceptor 112,manager 100 determines whether the requested data are present withinplaceholder files 110′. If the requested data are present withinplaceholder files 110′, manager 100 allows executed software application122 to retrieve the requested data from placeholder files 110′,preferably by allowing the operating system of computer 102 to processthe request, such as by forwarding the request to the operating systemor instructing interceptor 112 to forward the request to the operatingsystem. If the requested data are not present within placeholder files110′, manager 100 retrieves the requested data from their location(s)within data files 110, and places the retrieved data into theircorresponding location(s) within placeholder files 110′. Manager 100then allows executed software application 122 to retrieve the requesteddata from placeholder files 110′, such as is described above. Manager100 may also retrieve other data from data files 110 in advance ofrequests by executed software application 122 to retrieve such data, asis described hereinbelow in greater detail.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1B, which is a simplified conceptualillustration of an implementation of manager 100 of FIG. 1A, constructedand operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In thesystem of FIG. 1B, manager 100 preferably includes a file list 114 ofthe computer files that make up a software application that is managedby manager 100 as described herein, where file list 114 preferablyindicates whether a file is one of core files 108 or one of data files110. Manager 100 also preferably includes a set of block definitions 116having multiple named records referred to as “blocks,” where each blockincludes one or more references to data within data files 110. Manager100 also preferably includes a set of rules 118, where each rule isassociated with a block and determines if and how data that are referredto in the block, or in one or more other blocks, are to be downloadedfrom data files 110, whereupon the data that are retrieved from datafiles 110 are placed by manager 100 in placeholder files 110′. Manager100 also preferably maintains a record of the data that have beenretrieved and placed in placeholder files 110′, such as by maintaining abitmap 120 indicating locations within placeholder files 110′ to whichretrieved data were written. Any of the file, block, and rule datadescribed hereinabove are preferably known in advance to manager 100 orare otherwise acquired by manager 100 using conventional techniques,such as from local data storage media and/or from server 104.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which, taken together, is asimplified flowchart illustration of an exemplary method of operation ofthe system of FIGS. 1A and 1B, operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. In the method of FIGS. 2A and 2B, a requestmade by a software application during its execution by a computer isreceived or is otherwise detected, where the request is to retrieve datafrom a file stored at a first location (step 200), preferably on a datastorage device that is locally accessible to the computer. The name ofthe file, and typically the location of the requested data within thefile, are specified as part of the request. If the requested data arepresent in the file (step 202), the software application is allowed toretrieve the requested data from the file, or the data are otherwiseprovided to the software application (step 204). If the requested dataare not present in the file, the requested data are retrieved from oneor more locations other than the first location, such as from a remoteserver where a copy of the requested data is stored and that isaccessible via a communications network, and places the retrieved datainto their corresponding location(s) within the file stored at the firstlocation (step 206), whereupon the software application is allowed toretrieve the requested data from the file, or the data are otherwiseprovided to the software application (step 204).

If the requested data are referred to in a predefined block thatincludes one or more references to data that are associated with thesoftware application (step 208), and if the block has no predefinedrules associated with it (step 210), then the data referred to in theblock are preferably retrieved in accordance with a default retrievalpriority where they are not present at the first location (step 212),such as by retrieving the data from the remote server. The retrieveddata are then stored in predefined locations within corresponding filesstored at the first location (step 214). If the block has one or morepredefined rules associated with it, then the rules are evaluated andfollowed where applicable (step 216), such as where the rules indicatethat data referred to in the block, and/or in one or more other blocks,are to be retrieved, and at what retrieval priority. A description ofexamples of such rules and their application now follows.

Where the data referred to in a block are to be retrieved as describedhereinabove, the block may be logically placed in a priority queuetogether with an indicator of a retrieval priority, such as an integerbetween 1 and 9, where 1 indicates the highest level of retrievalpriority. Data referred to in higher priority blocks in the priorityqueue are preferably retrieved before data referred to in lower priorityblocks unless otherwise indicated by a rule. Data referred to inmultiple blocks with equal priority are preferably retrieved in around-robin fashion. Rules associated with a block may affect thepriority queue as follows:

-   -   by adding any block including itself to the priority queue with        an integer priority level;    -   by modifying the priority of a block already in the queue by a        certain positive or negative offset;    -   by removing blocks from the priority queue based on full or        partial block name matches (wildcards), or based on priority        level (greater than, less than, or equal to a threshold value);    -   by setting a buffering threshold for a block, such that if a        predefined amount of data referred to in the block has been        retrieved and is and ready for use by the software application,        the priority queue will temporarily stop retrieving data        referred to in the block and allow data to be retrieved for        other blocks in the priority queue, even if they have a lower        retrieval priority, until a predefined amount of the retrieved        data referred to in the block has been provided to the software        application, whereupon data retrieval for the block may resume.

Other types of rules associated with a block may include rules that:

-   -   cause a progress bar to appear during data retrieval, where the        progress bar tracks the progress of the retrieval of data        referred to by one or more specified blocks;    -   when a request is received from the software application for        data that are referred to in a block, and the data are already        present, withholds the data from the software application until        the data referred to by one or more specified blocks have been        completely retrieved.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 3A and 3B, which, taken together, providea simplified conceptual illustration of a system for preparing asoftware application for execution by a computer, constructed andoperative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The systemof FIGS. 3A and 3B may be used to prepare a software application forexecution as described hereinabove. In FIG. 3A, a software application300, such as a computer-based game, is preferably installed on acomputer 302 using conventional methods. Application 300 preferablyincludes one or more files that provide processing logic for application300 that are added to a set of core files 306, such as files with namesthat include suffixes such as ‘.exe’, ‘.dll’, or ‘.bat’. Application 300also preferably includes one or more data files 310, which may includefiles such as audio files, video files, and any other files not in corefiles 306 that are used by application 300 when it is executed. Theexecution of application 300 is preferably initiated at computer 302,such as by executing one of core files 306 that is predefined to causethe execution of the application 300, thereby creating an instance of anexecuted software application 322. An execution log 308 is created inaccordance with conventional techniques to record requests made byexecuted software application 322 for data from any of the files in datafiles 310, such as by configuring an interceptor 316 to intercept therequests and record the requests in log 308. If the execution fails,such as due to a request by executed software application 322 for a filein application 300 that was not included in core files 306, the file ispreferably added to core files 306. This process is preferably repeateduntil core files 306 includes files of application 300 that, whenexecuted, do not cause execution to fail, such as when their executionreaches a steady state, such as waiting for user input or requesting andwaiting for data from data files 310. Data files 310 will typicallyinclude any other files that are used by application 300 when it isexecuted and that are not included in core files 306. A file list 312 ofthe files included in core files 306 and in data files 310 is preferablymaintained.

As shown in FIG. 3B, block definitions set 314 is defined that includesone or more blocks of references to the requested data in data files310. The blocks are preferably defined in a manner that groups logicallyrelated data, such as data that are requested from one or more files indata files 310 at a given point during the execution of application 300,or data that are requested sequentially from multiple files in datafiles 310 during a given execution interval of application 300. A blockmay be defined by a human operator by marking portions of log 308. Forexample, the operator may place a ‘{’ in log file 308 before the firstrequest for data from a video file named “video10.mpg”, and a ‘}’ afterthe last request for data from the video file. References to therequested data that appear between the ‘{’ and ‘}’ markers in log 308may then be used to define a block 318. Additional optimizing techniquesmay be applied when defining a block, such as by dividing block 318 intotwo smaller blocks, one that includes references to audio data portionsof “video10.mpg”, and one that includes references to video dataportions of “video10.mpg”. Since the video data portions of a multimediafile are typically much larger than the audio data portions, the blockthat includes references to video data portions of “video10.mpg” may befurther divided into two or more blocks. A set of rules 328 is shown, inwhich rules may be associated with specific blocks and defined forcontrolling block-related behavior as described hereinabove.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIGS.3A and 3B, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.In the method of FIG. 4, a software application is divided into corefiles and data files (step 400). The application is executed byexecuting the core files (step 402). If the execution fails (step 404)due to the absence of a file from the core files, the file is removedfrom the data files and added to core files (step 406). This process ispreferably repeated until the core files includes those applicationfiles that, when executed, do not cause execution to fail, such as whentheir execution reaches a steady state, such as waiting for user inputor requesting and waiting for data from the data files. Requests made bythe application for data from any of the data files are recorded (step408). One or more blocks are defined, where a block includes one or morereferences to data in the data files that are requested by theapplication (step 410). Rules are defined for controlling block-relatedbehavior and are associated with specific blocks (step 412).

The system of FIGS. 3A and 3B and the method of FIG. 4 may be modifiedto optimize data retrieval efficiency from the server, such as bypackaging together multiple data segments that may be referred to withinthe same block but may not necessarily reside in physically adjacentlocations within the same data file. Data may also be stored in acompressed manner on the server. Multiple versions of audio and videofiles may be stored on the server, where each version of the same fileis of a different quality, such that a smaller, lower-quality version ofa file may be provided initially by the server, with a larger,higher-quality version being provided later.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 which is a simplified conceptualillustration of a system for preparing a software application forexecution by a computer, constructed and operative in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The system of FIG. 5 is substantiallysimilar to that of FIG. 1B with the notable difference that file list114, block definitions 116, and associated rules 118 are included in anindex file 522. Upon obtaining a request for data, manager 500determines if and how to download or otherwise retrieve the requesteddata in accordance with the block and rule definitions included in indexfile 522 and with a bitmap 520 that indicates what data have alreadybeen retrieved, in a manner similar to the method described in FIG. 1B.Additionally, index file 522 preferably includes information requiredfor installing the application, such as the directory for storingdownloaded portions of the application, and a remote address forretrieving application files, and any other information that is relevantto installing and/or downloading the application.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6A which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIG.5, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Themethod of FIG. 6A relates to transforming multiple (N) input sets ofelements to at most N+1 output sets, where each output sets includesonly unique elements, and where one output set preferably includeselements that are common to all of the N input sets, and the remainingoutput sets each correspond to one of the N input sets and preferablyonly include elements that are unique to the corresponding input set. Amap is preferably maintained for recording how many times an element isincluded in all the input sets. For example, a file map is maintainedfor each data file that is referenced by the blocks defined in the indexfile, where one or more items in the file map are preferably defined asa start byte, size, and a frequency count, and that uniquely span thefile map. Requests for data, or elements, are preferably defined as afile name, start byte and size, and thus every element is associatedwith a file map according to the file name. The elements and maps arepreferably defined in a manner that guarantees that every element mapsonto one and only one item in the file map. The file map is preferablyinitialized with a single item defined with a start byte of zero, a sizeequal to the file size, and a count of zero.

Thus, in the method of FIG. 6A multiple (N) sets, or blocks, thatpreferably include one or more elements, such as one or more requestsfor data that include a name of a data file where the requested data arestored, a start address in the file for the requested data, and a sizeof the data request, are obtained (Step 600). An element of a set ispreferably obtained (Step 602) and the element is preferably mapped toan item in the file map, such as by identifying an item in the file mapthat includes the start byte of the element, and where there ispreferably only one such mappable item in the file map (Step 604). Ifthe element corresponds to the item, such as a one-to-one correspondencewhere the start address and size of the element are equivalent to thestart address and size of the corresponding item in the map, then acount that is associated with the mapped element is incremented (Step606), and the identity of the set that includes the mapped element, suchas the block that included the data request, is recorded in associationwith the element, such as by setting a pointer that is associated withthe count to point to the block (Step 608). If the element does notcorrespond to the item in a one-to-one correspondence, such as if thestart bytes and/or sizes of the element and the item do not match,processing may continue with the method described in FIG. 6B. Steps602-608 are preferably repeated for each element in each set, in amanner to preferably obtain and map each element once and only once. Foreach element that was mapped in steps 602-608, the number of blocks thatinclude that element is determined, such as by checking the count thatis associated with that element (Step 610). If the element is includedin each input set, such as if the count associated with the element hasvalue of N, the element is preferably added to an output set that isreserved for elements that are common to all the input sets (Step 612).Otherwise, if the element is found in only one input set, such as if thecount has a value of one, the identity of the input set that includesthe element and that was recorded in step 608 is obtained (Step 614),and the element is preferably added to an output set corresponding tothe input set, and that is reserved for elements that are unique to thatinput set (Step 616).

Reference is now made to FIG. 6B which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIG.5, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Themethod of FIG. 6B relates to mapping an element of a set onto an item ina map where either start bytes and/or the sizes of the element and itemare not equivalent. The method is described in the context of mapping arequest for data onto a map for a data file. However, this is forillustration purposes only, and it may be noted that the method isapplicable to a general mapping of elements onto a map of items, wherethe elements and items do not necessarily comprise discrete features. Ifthe start byte of the map item is not the same as the start byte of theelement, the map item is split into two items where one of the splititems preferably has the same start byte as the element. For example, afirst map item is defined starting from the start byte of the map itemuntil the start byte of the element, and a second map item is definedstarting from the start byte of the target element and including theremaining bytes of the target map item (Step 618). Thus, if a targetelement referencing bytes 100,000 to 150,000 is mapped onto a target mapitem for bytes 80,000 to 150,000, the target map item is split into afirst map item with a start byte of 80,000 and a size of 20,000,spanning bytes 80,000 to 99,999, and a second map item with a start byteof 100,000 and a size of 50,000, spanning bytes 100,000 to 149,999. Thefirst and second map items are preferably added to the map, along withany identifying attributes such as keys that identify the start bytes ofthe items, and their sizes (Step 620). Upon obtaining a map item withthe same start byte as the element, if the map item is larger than theelement, the map item is preferably split to produce a third map itemwhose size corresponds to the size of the element, and a fourth map itemincluding any portion of the map item after the last byte of theelement, where the start bytes and sizes of the split items are added tothe map, accordingly (Step 622). For example, if the map item references80,000 bytes starting from byte 80,000 and the element references 50,000bytes starting from byte 100,000, then the map item is subsequentlysplit into three items: a first item spanning bytes 80,000 to 99,999with a start byte of 80,000 and size of 20,000, a second item spanningbytes 100,000 to 149,999 with a start byte of 100,000 and a size of50,000 and corresponding in a one-to-one correspondence with theelement, and a third item spanning bytes 150,000 to 159,999, with astart byte of 150,000 and size of 10,000. Conversely, if the element islarger than the map item, the element is split into a first elementstarting from the first byte of the element until the last byte of themap item and corresponding to the map item, and a second elementincluding any remaining bytes of the target element after the last byteof the map item (Step 624). For example, if an element referencing50,000 bytes starting from byte 100,000 is mapped onto a map itemspanning 30,000 bytes starting from byte 100,000, the element is splitinto a first element from 100,000 to 129,999 corresponding to the mapitem, and a second element from 130,000 to 149,999.

Processing preferably continues for the second element at step 604 ofFIG. 6A. Upon performing the above splitting steps, if the element andthe map item have the same start byte and size, the method preferablyresumes from Step 606 in FIG. 6A. It may be noted that the method ofFIG. 6B is implemented prior to, in conjunction with, or subsequent tothe method of FIG. 6A. It may be noted that any of the splitting stepsdescribed in FIG. 6B is preferably implemented in a manner to producesplit items that exactly span the original item, and that the items thusspan the file and maintain a one-to-one correspondence with the datastored in the file. Furthermore, any attributes associated with an itemprior to a split, such as a count or an identifier of a set thatincludes the element that is mapped to the item, are associated with anyitems resulting from the split. It may further be noted that prior toperforming the method of FIGS. 6A-6B, any redundancies that appear inthe block definitions, such as multiple references to the same datarange, are preferably resolved using any known method. In addition,multiple elements, such as data segments, that are within a predefinedrange and/or that are defined consecutively in the set, or block, arepreferably joined to form a single element, along with any attributesthat are associated with the multiple elements. It may further be notedthat the order of the elements in the sets that result from implementingthe method of FIGS. 6A-6B is preferably determined in accordance withone or more predefined criteria, and that the resulting sets are maximalin a sense that elements may be removed from any of the sets in. It mayfurther be noted that the above method is applicable to non-integerranges.

Reference is now made to FIG. 7A which is an exemplary result of animplementation of the method of FIGS. 6A-6B. Three blocks are shown: abedroom block 700A, a closet block 702A, and a battlefield block 704A.Bedroom block 700A includes requests for four images: bed, table, swordand helmet; closet block 702A includes requests for four images: cloak,armor, helmet and sword; and battlefield block 704A includes requestsfor four images: horse, sword, dragon, and helmet. Prior theimplementation of the method of FIG. 6A, if a request for the swordimage is intercepted, any subsequent rules for retrieving any of theother images in blocks 700A, 702A, and 704A are disabled to avoidretrieving data that are not required by the application. However, uponimplementing the method of FIG. 6A, four blocks are shown, each of whichare comprised of unique requests: bedroom block 700B includes requestsfor the bed and table images, closet block 702B includes requests forthe cloak and armor images, battlefield block 704B includes requests forthe horse and dragon images, and a new accessories block 706 includesrequests for the sword and helmet images, which were the requests commonto blocks 700A, 702A, and 704A. Upon intercepting a request for thesword, a rule to download accessories block 706 is activated and thehelmet is retrieved. It may be noted that a flag can be set to determinethe order of the requests in accessories block 706, such as a randomorder, or an average order. For example, if the flag is set to theaverage order, accessories block 706 will first request the sword image,and then the helmet image. Alternatively, if the flag is set to orderaccording to the highest priority, since closet block 702A has a higherpriority than either bedroom block 700A or battlefield block 704A,accessories block 706 first requests the helmet image and then the swordimage, in accordance with the order of the requests in closet block702A. As another example, two sets, A and B, comprising requests fordata within specified ranges are shown, where some requests haveattributes associated with them.

Set A Set B 100,000−>125,000 190,000−>210,000 (attribute X attached)75,000−>95,000 77,000−>80,000  200,000−>3,000,000 110,000−>115,000  0−>1025 4,000,000−>5,000,000   0−>1025

Upon applying the method of FIG. 6A, sets A and B are compared, andrequests for common data ranges are extracted, resulting in three sets:a new set AB comprising requests that are common to both sets A and B, aset A′ comprising requests that are unique to A, and a set B′ comprisingrequests that are unique to B. In the above example, set A includes arequest for range 100,000 to 125,000, and set B includes a request forrange 110,000 to 115,000. Although the two requests are not identical,the request from set B is a subset of the request from set A, and thus,common to both A and B. The request is extracted from set B, and onlythe portion of the request that is common to both A and B is extractedfrom set A, resulting in the addition of the common request110,000->115,000 to set AB. Two smaller requests are added to set A′ forranges that are unique to A: 100,000→100,000 and 115,000→125,000. Asanother example, set A includes a request for range 200,000->3,000,000,and set B includes a request for range 190,000->210,000. Upon applyingthe method of FIG. 6A, the portion of the non-matching requests that iscommon to both sets A and B, 200,000->210,000, is extracted from bothsets and added to set AB, a request for the remaining data that areunique to set A, 210,000->3,000,000, is added to set A′, and a requestfor the remaining data that are unique to set B, 190,000->200,000, areadded to set a B′. The requests in sets A and B are preferably comparedand matched without regard to the order in which they appear. The orderof the requests in the new set AB is preferably determined in accordancewith one or more predefined parameters.

Set AB

110,000->115,000 (order rank 1 based on Set A)200,000->210,000 (order rank 1 based on Set B)—(attribute X stillattached)77,000->80,000 (order rank 2 from both Sets A and B)0->1025 (order rank 4 from Set A)

Set A′ comprising requests Set B′ comprising requests unique to A uniqueto B 100,000→110,000 190,000→200,000 115,000→125,000 4,000,000→5,000,00075,000→77,000 80,000→95,000   210,000→3,000,000

Reference is now made to FIG. 7B which is another exemplary result of animplementation of the method of FIGS. 6A-6B. A file map 710A is shownfor a file 712. Prior to mapping any requests for file 712, map 710Aincludes a single item 714, starting from the beginning of the file atbyte 0, and spanning the size of the entire file of 500,000 bytes. Afirst request is obtained from block B for 60,000 bytes starting frombyte 20,000 from File A 712. As shown in file map 710B, item 714 issplit according to the method described in FIGS. 6A-6B, into threesections, a first item 716 starting from byte 0 of size 20,000, a seconditem 718 starting from byte 20,000 for 60,000 bytes and corresponding tothe request, and a third item 720 starting from byte 80,000 of size420,000. Item 718 is mapped to the first request, it's count isincremented by one, and the last block field is set to Block B which isthe last block that requested that data. A second request is obtainedfrom block C for 60,000 bytes starting from byte 40,000. This requestpartially overlaps both items 718 and 720 in file map 710B. As shown infile map 710C, since item 718 includes the start byte of the secondrequest, item 718 is split into two items: item 722 starting from byte20,000 of size 20,000 and maintaining the previous count and last-blockattributes, and item 724 starting from byte 40,000 of size 40,000 whichis mapped to the second request, where the indices of the items areupdated, accordingly. Thus the count of item 724 is incremented and nowhas a value of 2, and the last block attribute is set to block C.However, the request extends beyond item 724, and thus, the request issplit into two portions, where the first portion of the request mapsonto item 724, and the second portion of the request has a start byte of80,000 and a size of 20,000, and thus maps onto item 720 in map 710B,and which also has a start byte 80,000. Since item 720 is larger thanthe second request portion, item 720 is split into items 726 and 728 inmap 710C, where item 726 is mapped onto the second request portion andthus its count is incremented and its last block attribute is set toblock C. Item 748 maps onto the remaining portion of the file. Thus byexamining the file map, it is possible to determine if, and how manytimes a portion of a file has been referenced. By examining the countand last block attributes in map 730, the file can be divided into threeportions: a portion that is unique to block B and that includes mapitems with a count of 1 and a last block of B, and starting from byte20,000 with a size of 20,000 bytes; a portion that is common to bothblocks B and C with a count of 2 which is equivalent to the number ofinput blocks, and starting from byte 40,000 with a size of 40,000 bytes;and a portion that is unique to block C with a count of 1 and a lastblock of C, starting from byte 80,0000 for 20,000 bytes.

As another example, the method described in FIGS. 6A-6B may be appliedto network, or traffic analysis. Multiple routes traveled over pathsegments are recorded, and the number of traversals, or travelfrequency, over each path segment is tallied. Segments are scored inaccordance with their tally. For example, a frequently traveled pathsegment receives a high score and rarely traveled segment receives a lowscore. The tally system can be used in conjunction with the method ofFIG. 6A as follows: path segments with a tally of one are unique and arenot extracted from the sets, path segments with a tally that is greaterthan one are extracted. If the tally of the extracted element is equalto the number of sets, then the extracted path segment is common to allthe routes, and is added to the overlap set. This could be applied to aroad traffic scenario, where road segments that are frequently traveled,and therefore have a high score are identified as requiring highertraffic enforcement, or alternatively, a higher commercial value.

Reference is now made to FIG. 8 which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIG. 5relating to defining blocks, operative in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. The method of FIG. 8 may be employed for definingblocks for inclusion in an index file. Since the software application isdecision-oriented, each instantiation of the software applicationtypically results in a different sequence of data requests, resulting ina different sequence for placing the blocks defined in the index file onthe priority queue. For example, in a first instantiation, a userdescends down a main hallway and chooses to enter a room A whichincludes images of a portrait and a cabinet, resulting in requests forblocks for displaying the main hallway and room A. Whereas in a secondinstantiation, the user descends down the main hallway and chooses toenter a room B which includes images for a table and the same cabinet,and which results in requests for blocks for displaying the main hallwayand room B. However, to avoid requesting data that has already beenretrieved, data requests are typically not included in more than oneblock. In the above example, if room A is selected in the firstinstantiation, the request for the cabinet is included in the blockdefined for room A in the index file, and therefore, the cabinet is notincluded in a block defined in the index file for room B, which isselected in a second instantiation, resulting in an insufficient blockdefinition for displaying room B. This problem is solved by adding a‘hidden’ tag to requests that are associated with a decision branch inthe application.

Thus the method of FIG. 8 may be used to define blocks in the index filein a manner that enables requesting data that are required for aparticular instantiation of the application, while averting requestingdata that are unnecessary for that instantiation. The application ispreferably executed in a mode that enables defining blocks duringexecution, such as by recording requests for data in an output file, andby adding labels to the output file via a user interface, such as bypressing an F-key. Upon initiating a stage in the application, a STARTSTAGE tag is added to an output file via the user interface (Step 800).Upon obtaining a data request, the request is compared with previouslyintercepted data requests that have already been included in the indexfile (Step 802). If the new request is not present in the index file orthe request is present in the index file but is marked as ‘hidden’, therequest is written to the output file (Step 804). This process isrepeated until the end of the stage, whereupon an END STAGE tag is addedto the output file via the user interface. The requests in the outputfile that fall between the START STAGE and END STAGE tags are added tothe index file in a block that is associated with the stage (Step 806).If the stage was initiated following a decision branch in the executionflow of the application, such as if the user selected to enter one oftwo rooms, any requests included the block that was added to the indexfile are marked as ‘hidden’ (Step 808). This method is preferablyrepeated for all possible stages and all possible decision branches inthe decision-oriented application. In the above example, if room A isselected in a first instantiation, the portrait and cabinet requests areincluded in the block for room A. In a second instantiation where theuser selects to enter room B, without the ‘hidden’ tag, these requestswould be omitted in a block definition for room B, even if those dataare required for displaying room B. Thus, by using the ‘hidden’ tag inthe index file, blocks are defined for parallel logical paths in theapplication, and required data is requested, while non-required data isnot requested.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9A-9B, which, taken together, illustrateexemplary results of an implementation of the method of FIG. 6B. FIG. 9Ashows a sequence of data requirements for a decision point in theapplication, where a main hall stage 900 can lead to either of twobranches, room A 902, or room B 904. FIG. 9B shows the intercepted datarequests 906 resulting from an execution of the application, an outputfile 908 for recording intercepted requests, and the index file 922resulting from an application of the method of FIG. 8. An operatordefining index file 922 executes the application and progresses down arequired stage in the game, such as main hall stage 900 which displaysdata referenced by floor tiles block 910 and wall paper block 912. Theintercepted data requests 906, shown in FIG. 9B, are compared withrequests from the index file 922. Since index file 922 does not yetinclude the floor tile block 910 or wall paper block 912, the requestsare recorded in an output file 908, shown in FIG. 9B, between the labels‘Begin Main Hall’ and ‘End Main Hall’. The requests between the labelsare retrieved from output file 908, grouped into a Floor Tile block andWall Paper block, which are added to index file 922 in association withthe Main Hall stage of the game. Referring back to FIG. 9A, the gamepresents the operator with a choice: progress to room A 902 or to room B904. The operator selects room A 902, which includes data referenced byfloor tiles 910 and wall paper 912 that were displayed in the main hall,and additionally, data referenced by cabinet block 914 and portraitblock 916. The operator preferably presses an F-key, adding a label‘begin room A’ to output file 908. Since index file 922 already includesblock definitions for floor tiles 910 and wall paper 912 and they arenot hidden, only requests for cabinet block 914 and portrait block 916are recorded in output file 908. Upon exiting room A 902, the operatorpreferably presses the F-key, adding the label ‘end room A’ to outputfile 908. The operator identifies the data requests located betweenlabels ‘begin room A’ and ‘end room A’ in output file 908, and addscabinet block 914 and portrait block 916 definitions to index file 922in association with room A. Additionally, since entering room A resultedfrom a decision made by the user playing the game, a ‘hidden’ label isadded to both the cabinet block 914 and portrait block 916 definitionsfor room A in index file 922. The operator continues playing the gameand selects to enter room B 904, which displays data referenced by floortiles block 910, wall paper block 912, cabinet block 914 as well as amirror block 918. The operator preferably selects the F-key, adding alabel ‘begin room B’ to output file 908. As described above for room A,floor tiles block 910 and wall paper block 912 appear in index file 922,and are therefore not recorded in output file 908. Similarly, sincemirror block 918 does not appear in index file 922, these requests arerecorded in output file 908. However, although requests for cabinet 914are present in index file 922, they are labeled as ‘hidden’, andtherefore they are also recorded, a second time, in output file 908.Upon exiting room B, the operator preferably presses the F-key, addingthe label ‘end room B’ to output file 908. The operator identifies thedata requests located between labels ‘begin room B’ and ‘end room B’ inoutput file 908, and adds cabinet block 914 and mirror block 918 toindex file 922 in association with room B. Thus, a user playing the gamewith index file 922 downloads floor tiles block 910 and wallpaper block912 upon entering the main hall. Upon selecting the room A, cabinetblock 914 and portrait block 916 are downloaded. Alternatively, if roomB is selected, cabinet block 914 and mirror block 918 are downloaded.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10A which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIG. 5relating to evaluating a candidate index file, operative in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. In the method of FIG. 10A, asimulation file is created for an execution of the application asfollows. The application, including the core and data files, isinstalled locally, and the application is executed (Step 1000), such asin accordance with an index file. A request for data by the applicationis obtained (Step 1002), and information that is associated with theobtained request, such as the filename, start address, the size of therequest, and the time that the request is obtained are stored in thesimulation file (Step 1004). The delay between responding to apreviously obtained request and obtaining the current request iscalculated, such as in milliseconds, using information obtained from thesimulation file in association with the previous request, and the delayis stored in the simulation file in association with the previouslyobtained request (Step 1006). For example, if a response to thepreviously obtained request is given at time T1, and the currentlyobtained request is received at time T2, the delay is computed as T2−T1.The requested data is sent to the application, such as by notifying theapplication that the data are available (Step 1008) and the time forcompleting the processing of the obtained request is recorded in thesimulation file (Step 1010). Steps 1002 to 1010 are preferably repeateduntil the application terminates, and the method resumes in accordancewith FIG. 10B.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10B which is a simplified flowchartillustration of an exemplary method of operation of the system of FIG. 5relating to evaluating a candidate index file, operative in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. In the method of FIG. 10B, asimulation of the application is executed in a manner to preferablymaintain a constant delay for processing requests in accordance with thesimulation file created by the method of FIG. 10A and measure the delayfor retrieving the requested data from a remote storage device inaccordance with a candidate index file, where the candidate index filemay be the index file of method of FIG. 10A, a modification of the indexfile of FIG. 10A, or any other index file obtained using anyconventional method. The core files are installed locally, and the datafiles are stored remotely (Step 1012). A request for data is preferablyobtained, such as from the simulation file, as well as any informationthat is associated with the request, such as the recorded delay forprocessing the request (Step 1014). The processing delay is factored,such as by waiting for the duration of the delay that was obtained withthe request in Step 1014 (Step 1016). The requested data is retrieved inaccordance with the block definitions, rules, and any additionalattributes defined in the candidate index file (Step 1018). The delayfor retrieving the requested data from the remote storage device ismeasured and recorded (Step 1020). Any rules associated with therequested data are activated (Step 1022), such as rules that placeadditional blocks on the priority queue, or that change a priority for ablock that is on the queue. Step 1014-1022 are preferably repeated forthe all the requests recorded in the simulation file. The total delayfor simulating the application with the candidate index file isdetermined, where the total delay preferably includes the processingdelays obtained from the simulation file in association with therequests, as well as the delays for retrieving data from the remoteserver in accordance with the obtained requests (Step 1024). This methodis preferably repeated for any number of candidate index files. In thismanner, one or more candidate index files are preferably modified, andthe effect of the modification on the delay for retrieving data from aremote storage device in accordance with a first candidate index file ismeasured and compared with a similar delay for retrieving the same datain accordance with a second candidate index files, where the delay forprocessing the requested data is preferably constant for the twodifferent candidate index files.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

It will be appreciated that any of the elements described hereinabovemay be implemented as a computer program product embodied in acomputer-readable medium, such as in the form of computer programinstructions stored on magnetic or optical storage media or embeddedwithin computer hardware, and may be executed by or otherwise accessibleto a computer (not shown).

While the methods and apparatus herein may or may not have beendescribed with reference to specific computer hardware or software, itis appreciated that the methods and apparatus described herein may bereadily implemented in computer hardware or software using conventionaltechniques.

While the invention has been described with reference to one or morespecific embodiments, the description is intended to be illustrative ofthe invention as a whole and is not to be construed as limiting theinvention to the embodiments shown. It is appreciated that variousmodifications may occur to those skilled in the art that, while notspecifically shown herein, are nevertheless within the true spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing data to a computersoftware application, the method comprising: comparing a) a first recordthat refers to a first set of data requested during a first execution ofa computer software application, to b) a second record that refers to asecond set of data requested during the first execution of the computersoftware application; identifying a data portion that is common to thefirst and second sets of data; modifying the first record to omit fromthe first set any reference to the data portion; modifying the secondrecord to omit from the second set any reference to the data portion;creating a third record that refers to a third set of data that includesthe data portion; and associating the first, second, and third recordswith a data retrieval plan for providing data during a subsequentexecution of the computer software application.
 2. The method of claim 1and further comprising associating any of the records with a ruledetermining a) if and how data that are referred to in the record are tobe retrieved, and b) if and how data that are referred to in any of theother records are to be retrieved.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein saidcomparing, identifying, modifying, creating, and associating areimplemented in any of a) computer hardware and b) computer softwareembodied in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium.
 4. Acomputer program product for providing data to a computer softwareapplication, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory,computer-readable storage medium; and computer-readable program codeembodied in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein thecomputer-readable program code is configured to compare a) a firstrecord that refers to a first set of data requested during a firstexecution of a computer software application, to b) a second record thatrefers to a second set of data requested during the first execution ofthe computer software application, identify a data portion that iscommon to the first and second sets of data, modify the first record toomit from the first set any reference to the data portion, modify thesecond record to omit from the second set any reference to the dataportion, create a third record that refers to a third set of data thatincludes the data portion, and associate the first, second, and thirdrecords with a data retrieval plan for providing data during asubsequent execution of the computer software application.
 5. Thecomputer program product of claim 1 wherein the computer-readableprogram code is configured to associate any of the records with a ruledetermining a) if and how data that are referred to in the record are tobe retrieved, and b) if and how data that are referred to in any of theother records are to be retrieved.